Chapter 3

When Annabella reached the farm, John Harding was milking a cow by hand in the stable.

“Good morning, Ms. Reed. I heard you were back in town,” the farmer greeted the girl without taking his eyes off the cow.

“Yeah, I just got back yesterday evening,” she replied climbing down from her bike.

“What can I do for you, Ms. Reed?” the farmer asked her.

“Call me Annabella, or just Bella, Mr. Harding.” She took a deep breath, forced a smile on her face, and said, “As it happens, this is your lucky day. Red told me you’re looking for someone to help you around the farm. Well, I’m your woman.”

John Harding didn’t say anything for what seemed the longest time. Then he spoke up again. “Thanks for your offer, Bella, but you’re not the kind of help I’m looking for.”

Her experience in hundreds of castings had taught Bella not to take no for an answer.

“Of course I am.”

“I’m curious, why’s that?” the farmer standing up and looking at her with a smile.

“Because you’re obviously an intelligent man, and you can see that I’m a terrific worker,” Annabella replied.

“What I see is that I need a man.”

She smiled sweetly. “Don’t we all? Wealthy and not married if you ask me.”

John Harding laughed, amused by her flippancy. “I’m only going to hire a man.”

“I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear that, Mr. Harding, since sexual discrimination is illegal in this country.”

John Harding laughed out loud.

“Are you going to sue me, Annabella?”

Another woman might have given up, but Annabella had less than ten dollars in her pocket and she needed a job badly.

“You’re making a big mistake, Mr. Harding. An opportunity like me doesn’t come along every day,” she insisted.

“I know. I wish I could help you, Bella. What I have is hard manual labor. The grass needs to be mowed; the buildings need to be painted; the roof of the barn needs to be repaired. It’ll take a man to do that kind of work.”

She pouted. “I’m stronger than I look, and I’ll work harder than any man you’ll ever find.”

John Harding looked at her thin arms and snorted. “You probably are, but sadly I don’t think you are qualified to do the job, Bella. I’m truly sorry.”

John Harding stood up, reached into his rear pocket, and pulled out a wallet that had molded to the shape of his hip. “Here’s twenty bucks.”

She needed the twenty dollars badly, but she needed a job more, and she shook her head. “I don’t want charity, Mr. Harding. I want steady work.”

He placed two ten-dollar bills in her hand again, and closed her fingers around them. “It’s not charity, it’s a friend helping a friend.”

Annabella swallowed her pride and accepted them.

“Thank you, I’ll pay you back as soon as I get a job, Mr. Harding.”

He waved her words away.

“Have you talked with Red?”

“Yes, sir, I did. He’s not hiring right now.”

John rubbed his chin. “Remember Derek Hayes? He opened a gym some time ago when he was released from the Army. I heard he’s not doing bad. He might need help.”

Annabella twisted her mouth. She remembered Derek Hayes, of course.

“Great, another one of the long list of people Janice bullied in high school. Again, I’m guilty by association.” she thought. “Things keep getting better and better.”

“Put your bike in the back of my truck, I’ll give you a ride back to town. I was just going to drive there for lunch,” John Harding offered her, oblivious of her thoughts.